British singer-songwriter-guitarist Lee MacDougall, the newest artist to emerge out of London's burgeoning acoustic movement, is set for his first tour of the U.S. beginning February 25 in New York City. The tour will criss-corss the country over a two-month period and will include MacDougall's debut appearance at the SxSW Festival in Austin in March.
MacDougall is releasing an 11-song self-produced CD called IF WALLS COULD TALK to coincide with the tour. The CD includes the standout tracks "The Star Hotel" and "Joanna," among others. BBC Radio 6 host Tom Robinson says of MacDougall: "You absolutely cannot fake that kind of sincerity and passion, and particularly the yearning quality to his vocals."
Additionally, noted producer Jim Lowe (who has worked with the Stereophonics, Taylor Swift and the Charlatans, among others) has produced several tracks with Lee, including the version of "She" that is currently available from iTunes as part of a three-song EP he released last summer. An acoustic rendition of the song produced by Lee appears on IF WALLS COULD TALK.
Originally from the fishing town of Grimsby in the north of England, MacDougall has been performing on the open mic night circuit in London that has spawned new acoustic English artists in the last two years. His ability to couple a strong lyrical narrative with a memorable melody has enabled him to establish an international fan base that expanded when his music was embraced by the community of fans of the Twilight films. But it is the strength of his songwriting that has earned him UK industry recognition and support slots with artists such as Train, Starsailor, Paolo Nutini, The Feeling, Bob Dylan and Van Morrison. Word Magazine review editor Kate Mossman says: "He's amazing and very confident. Like Freddie Mercury meets Rufus Wainwright. He's going to go a long way."
For his U.S. tour dates, he will be accompanied by Rob Hargreaves on guitar and backing vocals.
Lee MacDougall's tour dates are as follows:
February 25-Bitter End, New York City
28-Club Passim, Boston
March 2-North Star Bar, Philadelphia
5-James Joyce Pub, Durham, NC
8-"Live at 9," WREG-TV, Memphis
9-3rd & Lindsley, Nashville
10-Zanzabar, Louisville
11-Cicero's, St. Louis
15-Poor David's Pub, Dallas
16-Hideaway on Dunvale, Houston
17-19-SxSW, Austin (specific venues to be announced)
22-Record Bar, Kansas City
24-Larimer Lounge, Denver
26-The Beat Coffeehouse & Records, Las Vegas
29-Dizzy's, San Diego
31-Hotel Café, Los Angeles
April-2 Elbo Room, San Fran
7-Tonic Lounge, Portland
8-El Corazon, Seattle
10-Backstage Lounge, Vancouver, BC
13-Sauce Spirits and Soundbar, Minneapolis
14-Double Door, Chicago
15-House Café, DeKalb, IL
20-Hard Rock Café, Pittsburgh
21-Valentines, Albany
22-Bitter End, New York City
23-World Café Live at The Queen, Wilmington, DE
